Vacation destination...Star Wars Land. This past week I came across an article that literally floored me with its possibility. With Disney purchasing the Star Wars franchise and everything that goes with it, they are apparently gauging interest in a Star Wars themed resort as part of the Disneyland Resort. If that doesn't get the young jedi within you excited I don't know what will. Please, Disney, make this happen! The Brew Crew will load up in the Family Truckster and drive west for this!
2nd Inning.
Movie I want to see....again. My Top 10 Teen Comedy Movies of the '80s Countdown..Part 2. Zapped! This is probably one you have never heard of but thanks to cable tv and a childhood of spending too much time in front of the television set I found it during late-night weekend hours. It stars Scott Baio(during his 'Happy Days' period) and Willie Aames (in between 'Eight is Enough' and 'Charles in Charge' with Baio). The movie is a typical teen raunchy comedy with a plot around Baio's nerdy character getting telekinetic powers through a lab experiment gone wrong (pure comic book material). Then enter his best friend portrayed by Aames who sees many benefits with his friend's new found abilities. You then get treated to the stereotypical nerdy brunette girl love interest who finally gets picked over the blonde bombshell (see 'Teen Wolf', 'Better Off Dead', etc for similar formulas). Altogether a funny flick and a must-own DVD which I need to finally track down for my collection. The trailer is below. Enjoy!3rd Inning.
Firearms Corner...Turkey Shotguns. With the Missouri Spring Turkey season right around the corner I wanted to profile some of the best shotguns to use for turkey hunting. I have only been turkey hunting since about 2007 and I have used a few different shotguns during that period ranging from Winchester to Remington to Mossberg but the guys in our camp shoot either Winchester or Mossberg. American Rifleman and Outdoor Life have compiled a couple of 'Top Turkey Gun' lists here and here. So, next time you are walking through the woods looking for a gobbler I would recommend the following: Winchester Super X Pump Turkey Hunter, Mossberg 500 Turkey, or Remington 870 Express.4th Inning.
American History Lesson...On March 24th 1765 - The Quartering Act was passed by the British requiring colonists to house British troops. Quartering of troops angered colonists so much that when they finally gained independence, they included an amendment in the Bill of Rights that would not allow troops to be quartered in private homes during peacetime. 5th Inning.
Random Facts about me...I can't stand folks that use incorrect state abbreviations (Arkansas is AR not AK!)...I think Rodney Dangerfield was the best comedian ever...I love the Red Wolf mascot but I will always be an Arkansas State Indian...I have made the mistake of letting Gina pluck one of my eyebrows then gone to bed without the other one plucked...I grew up on Duck Road in Grandview, Missouri...My favorite vacations as a kid were going to my grandparents in Arkansas...I threw up on the Spiderman 3-D ride at Universal Orlando (rather I threw up while quickly exiting the ride)...Gina and I had an American themed guest bedroom while living in Faculty housing at ASU and in both of our apartments in Memphis...I took my wife to see Titanic on our first date and she wore a blue sweater and we went to Perkins afterwards and had chicken tenders while she told me a story about egging some girl's car...6th Inning.
Articles of the week.
- Chuck Norris..."Washington's good friend Henry Lee probably summarized his life, leadership and legacy best in the eulogy for the father of the United States: 'First in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen.'"
- Wasteful spending...Senator Tom Coburn (OK) puts together a rather interesting read on our Federal Government's wasteful spending. Did you know food stamps were used to purchase beer, diapers, condoms, Starbucks drinks, KFC, Taco Bell, and alcohol?
- Gun Grabbers..."If Barack Obama, Diane Feinstein, Nancy Pelosi, Joe Biden and the rest of the Democrat gun grabbers in Congress could get away with it, they would ban and confiscate every gun in America tomorrow -- and people know it."
- Minimum Wage..."Are people responsive to changes in price? For example, if the price of cars rose by 25 percent, would people purchase as many cars? Supposing housing prices rose by 25 percent, what would happen to sales?"
- Thomas Sowell..."Virtually everything was against young Ben Carson, except for his mother's attitudes and values. But, armed with her outlook, he was able to fight his way through many battles, including battles to control his own temper, as well as external obstacles."
- Gun innovation...For all you Preppers, here is an invention to help you survive when specific ammo calibers are scarce and others are plentiful.
- Star Trek...A sign of the apocalypse? A sign that our Federal Government really has no clue how to handle our tax $$$ responsibly? Both.
- Retirement...I recall a case study I read in grad school in one of my Public Administration classes that examined a married couple and the amount of their Federal pensions. The man was retired military(1st pension) who then went to work for the Feds and retired (2nd pension) then went on to run for a House of Representatives seat in Congress and retired (3rd pension) PLUS the wife retired from a Federal civilian job. Let's just say they won't be hurting for retirement funds. If we are going to provide luxury pensions at the Federal level let there only be ones for our military and military alone.
- Boomtown...The problem in our country isn't Republican vs Democrat. It's political cronyism that has created a new autocratic society in/around Washington, D.C.. This is where the base of all political parties should be focusing the spotlight.
7th Inning.
What I'm reading...So, I finally finished the book "Founding Father: Rediscovering George Washington". An excellent source for insight into the man we have proclaimed the Founding Father. As I mentioned in an earlier post this book divides up his life into Career, Character, and Founding Father.
As the book details his Career from his time in War to his time in taking part in shaping the Constitution to his time as President you understand how he knew what others thought of him (holding him in such high regard) and how his actions would be perceived and used by future generations as precedents.
The section on his Character details how the man was shaped through nature, morals, and ideas. This section discusses how nature was the ground floor of his character consisting of things "given to him by nature and cultivated by conditions of his life: his physicality and temperament." Morals were the second floor and "were the way he governed himself" through morality, right and wrong, manners, customs, and mores along with the influence of Romans(see 'The Rules of Civility an Decent Behaviour in Company and Conversation" by GW). Lastly, this section discusses the third story of his character, Ideas, and how it was in the "name of right ideas about politics and government that he commanded his countrymen, and the process of studying them, and sharpening his understanding of them, that went on all his adult life."
The final section discusses his role as the Founding Father. He was never a biological father to anyone but he regarded the people of this nation and there descendants as his children and grandchildren and understood the experiment of self-governance would be a sort of gift to them. But he understood that as a father you have to let go of your children, and in this case his political children, and in doing so he foresaw that we would be on our own with all the uncertainty that entails. Washington knew this and he addressed it in his Farewell Address, Circular to the States in June 1783 as is recorded in his 3rd paragraph.
"The Citizens of America, placed in the most enviable condition, as the sole Lords and Proprietors of a vast Tract of Continent, comprehending all the various soils and climates of the World, and abounding with all the necessaries and conveniencies of life, are now by the late satisfactory pacification, acknowledged to be possessed of absolute freedom and Independency; They are, from this period, to be considered as the Actors on a most conspicuous Theatre, which seems to be peculiarly designated by Providence for the display of human greatness and felicity; Here, they are not only surrounded with every thing which can contribute to the completion of private and domestic enjoyment, but Heaven was crowned all its other blessings, by giving a fairer opportunity for political happiness, than any other Nation has ever been favored with. Nothing can illustrate these observations more forcibly, than a recollection of the happy conjuncture of times and circumstances, under which our Republic assumed its rank among the Nations; The foundation of our empire was not laid in the gloomy age of Ignorance and Superstition, but at an Epocha when the rights of mankind were better understood and more clearly defined, than at any former period; the researches of the human mind, after social happiness, have been carried to a great extent; the Treasures of knowledge, acquired through a long succession of years, by the labors of Philosophers, Sages and Legislatures, are laid open for our use, and their collected wisdom may be happily applied in the Establishment of our forms of Government; the free cultivation of Letters, the unbounded extension of Commerce, the progressive refinement of Manners, the growing liberality of sentiment, and above all, the pure and benign light of Revelation, have had a meliorating influence on mankind and increased the blessings of Society. At this auspicious period, the United States came into existence as a Nation, and if their Citizens should not be completely free and happy, the fault will be intirely their own."
That last sentence is a constant reminder and warning to us, the citizens of this great nation. As the author describes it, "With so many blessings, how could we (the citizens of this nation) fail? Easily enough, he (Washington) tells us; see that you don't."
8th Inning.
FFL Factoid...Dealer types.
- 01-Dealer in Firearms Other Than Destructive Devices (includes Gunsmiths)--[This is mine].
- 02-Pawnbroker in Firearms Other Than Destructive Devices
- 03-Collector of Curios and Relics
- 06-Manufacturer of Ammunition for Firearms
- 07-Manufacturer of Firearms Other Than Destructive Devices
- 08-Importer of Firearms Other Than Destructive Devices
- 09-Dealer in Destructive Devices
- 10-Manufacturer of Destructive Devices
- 11-Importer of Destructive Devices
Spring Training...This scene is the one that gets me all choked up. I never had a catch with my dad and probably never will but I do cherish the catches with my girls.
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